Novato Unified School District Superintendent Update - AAPIC Community Support, Quarantine Guide, 7-11 Committee Update For March 26

Novato CA

27 March, 2021

3:31 PM

Description

Press release from the Novato Unified School District: March 26, 2021 Dear NUSD Family, "As we near spring break and our modified full return schedule, I want to encourage each of you to do all you can to keep our kids and community safe and to continue your vigilance that will allow us to keep our students learning on campus, particularly, by following quarantine guidance should you choose to travel. Topics included in today's update are: Standing with our Asian and Pacific Islander Communities Quarantine Guidance Marin County 30-Point Plan for Site-Based Instruction Updating School Site Specific Protection Plans 7-11 Committee Update Asynchronous Learning Day on Friday, April 2 Virtual Learning Academy Newsletters Standing with our Asian and Pacific Islander Communities As the nation deals with the tragic events that unfolded in Atlanta, that took eight lives, we feel it is appropriate for the Novato Unified School District to express our deepest sympathies for the victims' families and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. It is equally appropriate that we reaffirm our commitment to racial and social justice and support our students in finding their voices and expressing themselves. The Novato Unified School District deeply values each of our students and their families. We know that many families may be feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of the pandemic and the unsettling times that have become much more challenging this past year. We remain hopeful that action and agency, as well as supporting our students, will move us forward. Stop AAPI Hate is a website that offers a place to report incidences of hate against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and provides resources for prevention and safety measures: https://stopaapihate.org/. We want our community to be aware and to know that NUSD will not tolerate acts of racism, hate, or aggression directed at those of Asian heritage or any other ethnic group. A Resolution supporting Asian Americans will be presented to the Board of Trustees at their March 30, 2021 Board meeting. Quarantine Guidance Spring Break is coming up, and NUSD schools will shift to our modified full return on Monday, April 12th. It is important to note that our ability to expand on campus learning time is dependent upon stable or declining Covid cases within our County. Currently, one of the biggest drivers of Covid-19 within Marin County is youth athletics competitions outside of Marin County and outside of California. This type of travel has resulted in many clusters of cases across the county and should be avoided. With this in mind, Marin public health recommends that those who are not fully vaccinated and who engage in out-of-state travel, including children, complete a quarantine period upon return to Marin County. The quarantine period, for those who do not develop symptoms, ends 10 days after return; OR on day 7 IF tested for COVID-19 on day 5 or later AND the test result is negative. Please follow this quarantine guidance to keep our kids and community safe. You can find that guidance here. Marin County 30-Point Plan for Site-Based Instruction Marin County Public Health released a revised 30-Point Plan for Site-Based Instruction for our schools. This plan changes guidance on spacing between students while learning and transitioning from one space to another from six feet to three feet. This will provide our teachers with some flexibility as they determine how to best set up their classrooms. It does not, at this time, adjust student spacing requirements while eating, or the spacing between adults on campuses which remains at 6 feet. You can review this revised guidance here. A Community Meeting on the revised guidance was held on March 23, 2021 with Marin Public Health. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here. Updating School Site Specific Protection Plans As we prepare for our modified full return of students to our campuses, each of our school sites is in the process of updating their School Site Specific Protection Plans and getting their campuses ready. Revised plans will be posted on each school's website, the NUSD website, and on the Marin County Office of Education website. Staff will be providing an update on our preparedness for April 12 at the March 30 Board meeting. 7-11 Committee Update The 7-11 Committee members are tasked with making a difficult but necessary recommendation for the fiscal wellbeing of the school district and the ultimate benefit of all NUSD students. From my time working with them over the last several weeks, I can assure you that every single member of the Committee feels the weight of their burden, and they are not making any decision lightly. After taking action in their previous meeting to bring a recommendation to close one elementary school to the NUSD Board of Trustees, and following heartfelt discussions and asking many thoughtful questions, NUSD's 7-11 Committee narrowed their focus to three schools: Lu Sutton Elementary, Lynwood Elementary, and Rancho Elementary. You can view the live recording of the meeting here. The next 7-11 Committee meeting will be held at 5:30 PM on April 21, 2021. The goal for this meeting will be to identify one school the Committee will recommend for closure to the NUSD Board of Trustees effective August 2022. Much additional and site-specific information will be shared to help the committee make this difficult recommendation. During the March 24 meeting, I reviewed the actions NUSD would take to ensure a smooth transition in the event of school closure. Some of those high-level actions include: Communicate, communicate, communicate – Widespread communications about the upcoming process focusing on those impacted Engage with the community throughout the process Public outreach to impacted communities with opportunities to ask questions and provide input Meet with staff to discuss options for impacted staff members Meetings between families impacted by school closure and their new schools Boundary adjustments for impacted schools Meetings between District and impacted schools to determine facilities related needs at new schools Determine future use for closed school Build connections and hold social events for families and their new school/s Update receiving school facilities to best accommodate new students Create new traditions for combined schools Support with enrollment options for impacted families Start new school year Close school We acknowledge that the closing of a school is difficult beyond measure. We are committed to doing everything we can to provide as much support as we can to ensure it happens as smoothly as possible for all impacted families and staff should the Board approve a school closure. Asynchronous Learning Day on Friday, April 2 This is a reminder that next Friday, April 2, will be an asynchronous learning day for elementary students in our Flexible In-Person program, and all middle and high schools in both FIP and VLA as teachers prepare for full classes of students returning on April 12. After a brief check in at the beginning of the day, students will be provided schoolwork to complete this day. This does not apply to elementary VLA students. They will maintain their regular schedule. Virtual Learning Academy Newsletters Here are links to this week's VLA newsletters: Elementary – March 23, 2021 Middle School – March 23, 2021 Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made to put us in a position where we can shift to our modified full return schedule on April 12. Have a great weekend." Sincerely, Kris Cosca This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.